Kelly to Brent at Eagle Ridge Golf Club

Kelly to Brent at Eagle Ridge Golf Club

Kelly Schwartz, 31, of South Amboy, and Brent Kronowski, 30, of Sayreville, both attended the same high school,but it wasn’t until their sisters were roommates in college that they began spending time together. It was Kelly’s father’s retirement party that sealed the deal. Kelly recalls texting Brent, from his sister’s phone, to join them at the party—and they’ve been together ever since.

In March 2011, the couple gathered with family and friends for the South Amboy St. Patrick’s Day parade. It was also Kelly and Brent’s one-year anniversary, so just before the start of the parade, Brent proposed to Kelly. The couple quickly jumped into planning their June 2, 2012, nuptials. They were inspired by a recent trip to Cape Cod, where Brent realized Kelly was the woman he wanted to marry.

Kelly, owner of Custom Invitations by Kelly, is no stranger to the wedding industry and has worked with many brides to design their invites. So, Kelly and Brent started with a maritime knot to anchor their nautical theme, which included a navy, yellow and white color palette; striped ribbon on the flowers and striped ties on the groomsmen; an anchor logo on invites, programs, cake and an ice sculpture; and maritime knots holding the table numbers. They then collected all 23 flavors of Samuel Adams beer bottles throughout the year leading up to their wedding at Eagle Ridge Golf Club and used them for the 215 escort cards. Kelly scanned the labels and created signs for each table. “It was a real wow factor,” she adds. Guests were given personalized pint glasses with the anchor logo as favors. Sentimental details were also worked into their day, including a charm attached to Kelly’s bouquet inscribed with “ever thine, ever mine, ever ours.”

Kelly admits that working in the wedding industry proved to be the perfect training ground for planning her own wedding. But the one thing she was not prepared for? “The feeling of getting out of the limo and walking down the aisle,” she says. “I kept imagining what it would be like, and then it was all happening. It felt so surreal to see everything come together.”

Her advice to brides: “Don’t stress! It goes by so fast; just enjoy the process.” After a honeymoon in St. John, they are now at home in Parlin.